Should you visit Puerto Iguazu or Ilha Grande?
Should I visit Puerto Iguazu or Ilha Grande? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Puerto Iguazu
Puerto Iguazu is located in the northeastern part of Argentina at the border with Paraguay and Brazil. It is a tourist city and travel destination because of its close proximity to Iguazu Falls, which is only 18 kilometers away. Much of the city's infrastructure has grown to maintain the tourist crowds that come to see the falls. The town itself has a population of slightly over 80,000.
Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande is a large, beautiful, island located off the southeast coast of Brazil. The island has few inhabitants, resulting in mostly unadulterated beaches and landscapes. There are over a dozen trails and beaches to explore, some of which have been called the best beaches in Brazil. Due to the limited number of inhabitants, ATMs are sparse on the island, so be sure to have cash with you before getting there.
Which city is cheaper, Ilha Grande or Puerto Iguazu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Iguazu is $59, while the average daily cost in Ilha Grande is $54. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Puerto Iguazu and Ilha Grande in more detail.
Accommodation
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $46 in Puerto Iguazu For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about $58 in Ilha Grande For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
The average traveler spends about $22 per day in Puerto Iguazu for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Ilha Grande food costs typically run travelers around $16 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Puerto Iguazu $22
Ilha Grande $16
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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El Quincho Del Tio Querido - Dinner And Show:
$27
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Foz do Iguaçu Folkloric Show with Dinner from Puerto Iguazú:
$30
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Foz do Iguacu: 2-Hour Rafain Churrascaria Show with Dinner:
$55
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Skip the Line: Dinner Tango Show in Iguazu Falls Ticket:
$59
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Folkloric Show with Dinner at Rafain Churrascaria:
$63
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Rafain Steakhouse Show - Dinner and Show Included:
$69
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Tio Querido Ranch Dinner and Show:
$69
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Dinner Tango Show in Iguazú Falls:
$85
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Creative Cooking Class and Dinner with Wine in Iguazu:
$87
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Tio Querido Dinner and Folk Show in Puerto Iguazú:
$90
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Skip the Line: Dinner Samba Show Ticket in Rafain (brazilian side):
$99
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Full day Iguazu Falls Argentinian side + Tango Show (no dinner):
$110
Local Transportation
To get around in Puerto Iguazu, the average visitor spends $18 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Ilha Grande than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $14 on transportation in Ilha Grande on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Iguazu
Also for Puerto Iguazu, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Private One-Way Airport Transfer:
$98
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Puerto Iguazu Airport Shuttle Transfer:
$30
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Private 1-Way Airport Transfer: Downtown Foz do Iguaçu:
$39
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Iguazu: Transfer from Argentina Side:
$95
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Iguazu Falls: Day Tour including transfers and guided tour:
$245
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Iguazu Falls Pass: Transfers in/out + Visit to Iguazu Falls Argentininan Side:
$110
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Iguazu Airport Private Transfer:
$63
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Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers:
$65
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Iguassu Falls Argentina Airport R/T Transfer to Hotels:
$21
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Iguazu or Ilha Grande?
Prices for flights to both Ilha Grande and Puerto Iguazu change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
In Puerto Iguazu, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $19 per person, per day.
Sightseeing expenses in Ilha Grande, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $5.20 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Puerto Iguazu
For Puerto Iguazu, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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2-Night Iguassu Falls Sightseeing Tour:
$150
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2-Night Iguazu Rainforest Experience at Yacutinga Lodge:
$608
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2-day Iguazu Falls Argentinian Side + City Tour with 3 frontiers landmark:
$115
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3-Day Iguazu Falls Adventure: Brazil and Argentina:
$363
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3-Day Iguazu Falls Exploring Tour:
$172
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3-Day Iguazu Falls Self Guided Exploring Tour:
$213
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3-Day Tour: Exploring Iguazu Falls in Private Service:
$544
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3-Days Iguazu Falls Tour of the Argentinian and Brazilian Side:
$491
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3-Days Private Experience at Iguazu:
$790
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4-Day Tour to Iguazu Falls by Air from Buenos Aires:
$1,058
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5-Day Adventure Trip in Iguazu:
$538
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6-Day Iguazu Falls & Ibera Marshlands Luxury Tour:
$1,800
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Puerto Iguazu spend on average $9.21 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typically, people visiting Ilha Grande spend on average $8.34 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
When comparing the travel costs between Puerto Iguazu and Ilha Grande, we can see that Puerto Iguazu is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in South America, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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